Motorbike advice..

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stevewestern

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In typical style for a bloke of my age (59) I am thinking of getting back into biking after a few years without one.

My last few bikes were a 1200 Bandit, a BMW GS1100, a Triumph Tiger a CCM604 supermoto and a Suzuki DRZ400.

I don't want to go fast, don't want to get my knee down but do want something big on torque, ideally with a fairly low centre of gravity and some sort of wind protection.

I had my ankle fused a few years ago (the result of a 'long-ago' bike accident) which is why a low CoG is fairly important, and why a more upright sitting position is preferred.

My questions are - what sort of bike should I start looking at (there is a Blackbird for sale very near me..) and what good forums are there to look at for bikers who are maybe past that hooligan stage and who might be able to offer help and suggestions. What about clothing, which has changed a lot over the last 15 years. Budget is limited so I won't be looking at new bikes, but I guess a couple of grand, maybe 3 for a bike, plus some decent protective gear.

Thanks for any suggestions !
 
Think about the weight of the bike. The bigger ones are quite heavy for pushing around, my zzr1200 is 230kg + and is just about ok for me pushing out the garage, but they do have the advantage of being stable on the motorway etc.
Do you want something like a custom for a change, Honda vt600, or a sports tourer, triumph sprint?
 
Clothing, very good stuff these days. The textiles are very good, there are some good crash helmets now for £200-250, you probably have to think about £500-600 for clothing depending on the helmet you choose.
 
Actually I rate my zzr1200, it's a sports tourer, a decent sitting position, low seat (good for short me). You'd pick them up for £2500 if lucky now.
 
Byker28i said:
Think about the weight of the bike. The bigger ones are quite heavy for pushing around, my zzr1200 is 230kg + and is just about ok for me pushing out the garage, but they do have the advantage of being stable on the motorway etc.
Do you want something like a custom for a change, Honda vt600, or a sports tourer, triumph sprint?
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I've never 'got' custom bikes, so they are out. A sports tourer, muscle bike or trailie is what I think I want.. The Bandit was fun, if cheaply finished and heavy on tyres, but I see that newer ones have various amounts of fairing. My old Tiger was very top heavy which I would not want in case my fused ankle is put to the test.

Byker28i said:
Clothing, very good stuff these days. The textiles are very good, there are some good crash helmets now for £200-250, you probably have to think about £500-600 for clothing depending on the helmet you choose.
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I left biking just as textile stuff was taking off, but my last jacket was textile and I rated it highly for weather protection - never tried out how it survived tarmac abrasion...

Byker28i said:
Actually I rate my zzr1200, it's a sports tourer, a decent sitting position, low seat (good for short me). You'd pick them up for £2500 if lucky now.
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I've never had a Kawasaki so maybe I should look at a zzr1200 - decent sitting and a low seat might imply that weight is carried low.
There are no bikes shops anywhere near me so trying out bikes is going to involve a long drive so any help is much appreciated to try to narrow down the direction - many thanks Byker28i !
 
Speed triple
 
Maybe consider a Blackbird too if you need wind protection. Similar to the ZZR12 but not as sport orientated. Loads to choose from too.
 
rick448 said:
Speed triple
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Tell me more, like why....!
I know the triple motor but always thought of the speed triple as a bit of a hooligan bike, rather like the naked bandit, and am kind of hoping to steer slightly away from that, as I know how foolish I was and may still be..

rick448 said:
Maybe consider a Blackbird too if you need wind protection. Similar to the ZZR12 but not as sport orientated. Loads to choose from too.
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The blackbird for sale near me is the first (carb) model, so old and cheap. They have seemed to me to be an old blokes bike in that yes, it goes like stink but it isn't going to encourage me to act like a third of my age. Might be fooling myself tho..

Thanks for the input!
 
The trouble with blackbirds and zzr1200's are that they go fast very easily, I have a zx12r! Try a zrx1200 that has a small fairing, or a Suzuki gsf 1400, no fairing on that, you said you don't want to go fast so shouldn't be a problem.
On the subject of textile jackets, 2 of mine have had road contact at speed, showed no signs of damage.
 
stevewestern said:
Tell me more, like why....!
I know the triple motor but always thought of the speed triple as a bit of a hooligan bike, rather like the naked bandit, and am kind of hoping to steer slightly away from that, as I know how foolish I was and may still be..


The blackbird for sale near me is the first (carb) model, so old and cheap. They have seemed to me to be an old blokes bike in that yes, it goes like stink but it isn't going to encourage me to act like a third of my age. Might be fooling myself tho..

Thanks for the input!
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Here is my "slightly modified" Blackbird, as featured in Performance Bikes magazine.

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What was the "slight modification"?
 
Textile clothing is great these days, long lasting, warm, waterproof.
As for bikes, if you're worried about weight, go smaller?
Honda vfr750 or 800, Suzuki gsx600, sv650, I think they did one with a full fairing
Or a BMW? F650, probably find a k1200 etc
 
Bluekwack said:
The trouble with blackbirds and zzr1200's are that they go fast very easily
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They can, but they are also very easy to ride gently. I think I've not opened my throttle fully open more than 4 times and I've had it 11 years. There's just no need. You can make progress to the speed limit (ish) briskly without much effort, yet at the same time ride it so slowly in traffic.

I guess with op's foot, he's just going to have to try sitting on things to see what the riding position is like.
 
Bluekwack said:
What was the "slight modification"?
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A bit too much to mention, in a nutshell, brakes, suspension, exhaust, bits and bobs to the engine. Just all round improvements, it's still nothing like a modern day sports bike, but it does for me. I only have room for a couple of bikes now, and I sold my BMW S1000R and kept the BB. Which says something, maybe that i'm old :D
 
go sit on some bikes and don't feel like your first bike back in the game needs to be a biggie.
to many born agains end up with more than they need and hence they only come out on great days
consider some fun like a kawasaka er6n or an old triumph tiger.

don't buy a tired old sportsbike with a cranked ankle
 
Mr Bump said:
go sit on some bikes and don't feel like your first bike back in the game needs to be a biggie.
to many born agains end up with more than they need and hence they only come out on great days
consider some fun like a kawasaka er6n or an old triumph tiger.

don't buy a tired old sportsbike with a cranked ankle
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Thats good advice Paul.
I've not been away from bikes too long (5-6 years) and know that while I don't need anything big, I will soon want something with a lot of torque.
I do plan on doing a training course of some sort to help ease me back. Maybe something like a Kawasaki ER6N would be a good idea - I know nothing about them so will take a look to see what they are.
One of my reasons for wanting something big is that I like an easy engine - lots of torque so no need to rev. The last sports bike I had (Suzuki GSX600) just made you want to thrash it and something relaxed will keep me riding in more of the style I want to ride. The BMW GS1100 was so easy, but is a little top heavy, much like the Tiger was..
 
How about a BMW Nine T? If you don't want to tear about, maybe not having wind protection is a good thing, it was for me.
 
stevewestern said:
Thats good advice Paul.
I've not been away from bikes too long (5-6 years) and know that while I don't need anything big, I will soon want something with a lot of torque.
I do plan on doing a training course of some sort to help ease me back. Maybe something like a Kawasaki ER6N would be a good idea - I know nothing about them so will take a look to see what they are.
One of my reasons for wanting something big is that I like an easy engine - lots of torque so no need to rev. The last sports bike I had (Suzuki GSX600) just made you want to thrash it and something relaxed will keep me riding in more of the style I want to ride. The BMW GS1100 was so easy, but is a little top heavy, much like the Tiger was..
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well i have been there myself, 47 years old, stared 17 years ago on a kawa ER500 then a new 2004 z750 then a ZRX1200 (huge) then moved to a honda CBF600, then a kawa versys 650 and now on my old ZRX400 a tiny bike with 58hp.

honest truth it is all about wanting to go out and ride and for my it is the little 400 every day as it is miles of smiles.

howerver in your minds eye maybe a lazy 4 cylinder like a yamaha 1000 fazer?
 
I had a couple Sprint 955, loved them, nice handling, great torque. Now have a Sprint 1050GT, heavy clutch, not so nice handling, so would recommend the 955 every time, although a bit long in the tooth now maybe unless you can get a low mileage one.
Matt
 
Mr Bump said:
a lazy 4 cylinder like a yamaha 1000 fazer?
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That sounds just about right - a lazy bike. For miles of smiles.
I'll take a look at all the suggestions later - Wifes birthday today, so too much bike talk might not be appreciated....!

Again, many thanks to all
 
I was in a similar position as you a few years back Steve. I'd had bikes in my late teens/early 20s and was itching to try one again in my mid 50s. Initially I bought a Honda VFR800 but although it was a nice bike I found the riding position too hard on my back: an hour in the saddle and I'd be aching for days.

I've got a 2007 Honda CBF1000 now. It's the modern equivalent of an old 60s British twin, except its 4 cylinder and doesn't drip oil on your drive. :) Nice lazy engine with masses of torque but still very quick if you want to open the taps (it's a detuned Fireblade unit), comfortable riding position, well finished and they're usually very reliable. The Mk1 versions go fairly cheap and you'd get a very nice low mileage example privately for well under £3k, basically because they're not hugely desirable as they're seen as a bit of an old geezer's bike. There's a touring version too with fitted luggage if that floats your boat, they go for a bit more money.
 
boogie man said:
I was in a similar position as you a few years back Steve. I'd had bikes in my late teens/early 20s and was itching to try one again in my mid 50s. Initially I bought a Honda VFR800 but although it was a nice bike I found the riding position too hard on my back: an hour in the saddle and I'd be aching for days.

I've got a 2007 Honda CBF1000 now. It's the modern equivalent of an old 60s British twin, except its 4 cylinder and doesn't drip oil on your drive. :) Nice lazy engine with masses of torque but still very quick if you want to open the taps (it's a detuned Fireblade unit), comfortable riding position, well finished and they're usually very reliable. The Mk1 versions go fairly cheap and you'd get a very nice low mileage example privately for well under £3k, basically because they're not hugely desirable as they're seen as a bit of an old geezer's bike.
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Now that floats my boat - I grew up with the sound of the Honda CB250 filling me with lust, and within 5 minutes of passing my test in about 1976 on a Suzuki TS250 I have a Honda CB750 4, which was the first one my dealer had sold, and I was told the first in Oxford. I grounded the exhausts within a mile, and wrapped it round a lamp post when someone elses girlfriend got a little wriggly on the back and the rain-hating tyres did what they did best...

Another great suggestion to add to my list - thanks !
 
stevewestern said:
Now that floats my boat - I grew up with the sound of the Honda CB250 filling me with lust, and within 5 minutes of passing my test in about 1976 on a Suzuki TS250 I have a Honda CB750 4, which was the first one my dealer had sold, and I was told the first in Oxford. I grounded the exhausts within a mile, and wrapped it round a lamp post when someone elses girlfriend got a little wriggly on the back and the rain-hating tyres did what they did best...

Another great suggestion to add to my list - thanks !
Click to expand...


There's a uk based CBF1000 forum that I belong to that's worth a look if you're interested. Has lots of tech info and general advice, also there's usually a few bikes for sale in the classifieds.

https://www.cbf1000.com/
 
I had a CBF600 and would agree nice position lazy easy engine.
 
How about go cheap to start with and a Kawasaki ZZR600, I did over 120K miles on mine.
 
rick448 said:
How about a BMW Nine T? If you don't want to tear about, maybe not having wind protection is a good thing, it was for me.
Click to expand...

stevewestern said:
That looks like a nice bike, just not sure I can find one for £3000...!
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I've never been a lover of fairings and these days try to avoid riding in the rain when possible! Being in the full force of the wind helps keep you slow(er) and more aware of your surroundings as well as revealing the beauty of your engine (if it has some!!!)
How about a modern Bonnie? Classic looks with modern reliability. Oodles of torque, even if ultimate power is relatively low. They've got enough oomph to cart Mrs Nod and myself around at legal speeds without needing to trouble the gearbox on any but the steepest hills (we've got some tight 1:4 bends up on the moor...) and will trickle through town in top if you want to (although knocking it down a few inevitably makes it a bit snappier!) Several options available from the standard/classic stance to the lowrider/cruiser of the Speedmaster and America. The Speedmaster and America also have a 270° crank angle, giving them an almost V twin sound - lovely through shorter (but still genuine Triumph) pipes.

As for clothing, I have a selection of leather jackets as well as a couple of textile ones. Never tested any of them for road rash resistance or the effectiveness of the armour they contain (except the Irvin flying jacket which has no pockets for the armour!) Jeans cover my legs with over trousers on really cold days.
 
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